Til You Found Me
by Carol's Warrior Bitches
Summary: As desperately as she wished she could return to her prison family, Carol knew that being sent away was a small price to pay for keeping a dangerous secret. But the bonds of a love that had been growing for so long would not be denied.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, devoted Carylers! It is we, Carol's Warrior Bitches, defenders of the Caryl faith and weavers of passionate tales of Carol and her eternal love, Daryl. We've started another little story for you, one filled with danger, adoration, desire and truth. We hope you enjoy the journey... _

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**Chapter 1**

The walker had caught the scent of something; there was no doubt. It had gone from a lifeless slouch against the wall of the post office to an excited shamble in the span of only seconds. Carol watched quietly from the shade of an ancient pecan tree as the rotting creature limped as quickly as it could down the centre of the street, a desperate hiss spilling from its cracked lips as it chased down whatever it was now hunting. After waiting until the walker was well ahead of her and making sure that the coast was otherwise clear, she silently followed to see what had attracted its attention. There might be something as simple as a wounded animal but it could also be someone who might pose a potential threat to her safety. She'd figured out that the dead could be an excellent early warning system in their own right when it came to keeping an eye on what was going on around her.

She'd been a week on her own, but she'd taken every lesson she'd learned from Daryl about survival to heart and had managed to avoid problems for the most part. Stay downwind of the predators, he'd told her…never get caught out after dark, leave nothing behind that would give away her presence, avoid routine and keep moving. If only he could see her now, how circumspect she was, she liked to think he'd be proud of her.

An aching wave of loss swept through her so quickly that she was unprepared for the crushing pain in her heart. The girls were gone, Daryl was gone – all the family she had left in the world had been ripped out of her life in an instant. Rick seemed to think nothing of throwing her out like he had, giving her some bullshit assurances about how she'd find others, how she'd make it alone. Even he didn't believe it, she could tell. The worst part was that he simply no longer cared if she lived or died.

She'd misjudged how he'd react when she'd told him what she had about Karen and David, and Carol couldn't help wonder if there wasn't more behind his decision than the belief that she'd taken two lives. The reasons she'd given him were perfectly legitimate – there was every chance the contagion could have been stopped had those two been the only people infected. The secret of what had actually taken place, though, was one she would never divulge. Better that she be banished forever than anyone at the prison ever find out the truth.

Another couple of walkers lurched out from one of the abandoned shops along the main boulevard and trailed close on the heels of the first, alerted by the eager, hungry grunts it was making as it drew closer to its prey. Carol fell back a bit further, her hand resting on the hilt of her knife in the event that she was somehow noticed and had to react quickly. As the dead closed in on the abandoned vehicles at the far end of the road, a nondescript figure darted out from behind a rusty green pick-up truck and stumbled unsteadily across the street, disappearing between two buildings.

Carol sighed to herself. For the most part, she went out of her way to avoid the living, not willing to take a chance with either her life or her heart. But as much as she steeled herself against caring, she couldn't help but take pity on someone who was obviously wounded and in trouble. There was no fair fight to be had against a gathering horde, after all, and so she set out for the alley behind the stores to get whoever it was out of harm's way and to safety. Patch them up, give them a bite to eat and a secure place to recover before she left...that would be enough. It would have to be, she wasn't willing to give more than that. Not anymore.

She crouched low and trotted softly down the back alley, stopping to hide behind trees or garbage cans as she made her way closer to where she'd seen the person disappear. Drawing her knife, she crept along cautiously, peering into dark corners and open doorways for any possible danger as she went. It took a few minutes but she eventually spotted a figure huddled down by one of the many dumpsters behind what had once been a restaurant. Smart, she thought to herself. If there was any stench stronger than that of the walkers themselves or even, say, the blood from an open wound, it would be the contents of the garbage bins, left to decompose into a reeking slurry in the heat of the Georgia sun for a few years.

The tactic was sound in principle but while the original gruesome threesome had apparently been thrown off the trail, what had once been an elderly woman had not been so easily fooled. Moving slowly but relentlessly, the primly dressed corpse was slinking up behind the person, one long thin arm stretched out in anticipation of the oblivious meal at hand.

Shouting out a warning simply wasn't an option – it would be like ringing the dinner bell – and so Carol ran as swiftly and lightly as she could along the broken, cluttered stretch of pavement. When she was almost there, she saw the person suddenly sag against the dumpster, head clutched in hand, and knew whoever it was would be of no use at all in whatever fight was to come. Redoubling her efforts, Carol flew down the alley and drove the walker to the ground from behind, spearing her knife up under the back of the decayed skull and into what remained of the brain even before the two of them skidded across the pavement.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust at the putrid burst of spongy flesh, Carol pushed herself off of the body splayed beneath her and yanked her weapon out again, wiping the blade off on what was left of the old woman's calico housedress. Letting go of a breath she wasn't even aware she'd been holding, she glanced over at the dumpster. It was a man – that much was clear from up close – but he'd collapsed on his side and was largely concealed in the navy shadows cast by the bin.

She sheathed her knife and shuffled closer to him. "Hey," she whispered, shaking his shoulder, blinking as her eyes slowly adjusted from the bright sunlight. "We have to get while the getting's good! We're not safe here."

He groaned and rolled over onto his back. Blood from a gash on his forehead coated one side of his face, but recognition slammed into her so hard that she fell over backwards onto her ass.

"DARYL?! I can't...but...my God...!" she stammered, the shock of the moment making her vision go a bit fuzzy around the edges. Her heart squeezed hard in her chest as a million emotions were cut loose, and she scrambled back onto her knees so she could reach out and grab his hand.

His eyelids fluttered when her fingers wrapped around his, but he seemed unable to focus. "Car...Carol...I hear you..." he moaned softly just before his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out cold.

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_Oh, you KNEW he was going to come for her! More to follow soon! Reviews and encouragement always welcome and gratefully received!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello, Carylers! Wow - what a wonderful response for our first chapter! So much so, in fact, that we decided we'd better get it updated as soon as we could :) Thank you to everyone who reviewed, we love hearing what you think and it certainly keeps us excited about our story. Have fun with this latest instalment and we will work hard to get the next chapter up as soon as we can! _

_And as always, Caryl On!_

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**Chapter 2**

Carol rubbed at her sore shoulder as she warmed a pot of water on the small camp stove. Getting Daryl out of the open and into the nearby flower shop had taken all the strength she possessed. That much lean, male muscle was damned heavy and doubly so when it was all dead weight, so to speak. She'd have to be sure to rotate the joint and keep flexing so her arm wouldn't stiffen up on her. She smiled to herself, thinking that maybe she could convince Daryl to finish that massage he'd started the year before when they were on watch together on the top of that overturned bus. It had certainly felt good while it had lasted.

She snuck quietly to the front door and slid her finger under the edge of the blind, peeking out at the street. Things had settled down again, and the few walkers she spotted had gone back to their aimless shuffling. She and Daryl were safe where they were for now, but she usually preferred to be closer to the edge of town when night fell. The dead tended to congregate in downtown for some reason she couldn't quite figure out and it was simply more peaceful further out. She'd cleared four buildings in different areas, though, both so she'd have a safe haven close by when she needed it and so she didn't grow too complacent in one location. You got comfortable, forgot how dangerous the world was...that's when it caught you off guard and took you down.

Returning to the stove, Carol extinguished the ring of blue flame and set the pot aside. She retrieved a scrap of soft, clean terrycloth from beneath the counter and then poured the half of the tepid water into a small enamel bowl. She was just about to turn around but paused, irrational fear spiking for a fraction of a second. What if, in an extraordinary feat of wishful thinking, she'd imagined it all? She might just turn around only to see an empty space on the floor where she _thought_ Daryl ought to be stretched out. It still seemed too good to be true, finding the one person who had helped her find vast reserves of inner strength she barely knew she had...the one who had salvaged her wounded heart and nursed it with his friendship and compassion until it was whole again. If it had all been some elaborate hallucination...well, she wasn't sure she would survive that.

She clutched the bowl more tightly, squeezed her eyes shut and slowly pivoted. Cracking one eyelid open, she sagged slightly in relief to see that yes, Daryl was still there, stretched out unconscious at her feet. His clothes were even more torn up than usual and blood hid half of his face, but to Carol's eyes he'd never looked so beautiful.

He'd come. When no one else had, Daryl had come looking for her. She wasn't sure if she should burst into tears or laughter, so great was her happiness.

Suddenly mindful of the head injury he'd suffered, Carol shook off her reverie and knelt at his side. She gingerly smoothed his hair away from his face and dipping the cloth into the water, carefully began to wipe the blood off his skin so she could get a decent look at the wound. She was as gentle as possible but even so, it was a bit alarming that he remained unresponsive as she ministered to him. She prayed that the worst he'd suffered was a concussion - _that_ she could treat but anything like internal pressure or bleeding...well, that was way beyond her few basic medical skills. Dwelling on something over which she had no control wasn't going to help Daryl, though, and so she decided resolutely that he would get better – he _had_ to get better – and then she'd find out what had happened that he'd gotten himself hurt in the first place.

The water soon grew too filthy to be of any use, and so she dumped it into a nearby galvanized bucket and rose to get the last of what she'd warmed in the pot. Maybe she needed to look around and see if one of the employees had a sewing kit stashed somewhere; if the cut on his forehead was deep enough, he might just need a few stitches to keep the edges closed and get them healing more quickly. There would be no moving him for a few days – head injuries were unpredictable and unless he had all his senses about him, trying to take him elsewhere was way too dangerous to consider.

She brought the clear water back and resumed her work, slowly revealing a slightly jagged slash on top of a painful-looking, purplish bump. Whatever had hit him had caught him on the temple, so perhaps it was no surprise Daryl was still out like a light. Carol decided on examination that she wouldn't have to try to stitch the cut closed after all – it wasn't nearly so deep as she first thought, and a butterfly bandage from the shop's first aid kit would suffice. She wished she had some ice she could apply to take down the swelling but there really was no such thing in Georgia anymore, not even in winter. Powering a freezer wasn't exactly a top priority now that the world had ended. When he woke up, she'd give him some ibuprofen for the pain and hope that it was enough.

A droplet of fresh blood welled from the laceration and she applied the cloth against it to catch it before it trickled down into his hair. She must have pressed a little too hard, though, because Daryl suddenly gasped and his eyes flew open in fear. He clamped his hand on her wrist, but was simply too disoriented and weakened to do anything more.

"Shhh, you're okay," she softly reassured, cupping his jaw in her free hand and bringing her face closer to his so he could see who was touching him. "I'm sorry, pookie. I didn't mean to hurt you."

He licked at his lips and blinked slowly, staring at her in confusion for a few moments before awareness gradually dawned. "Carol?" he rasped, stunned disbelief mixed with a shine in his eyes that could only be tears. "I never...I didn't know where..." He clutched her wrist tighter but then squeezed his eyes closed in agony, hissing against what she could only imagine was the mother of all headaches.

Carol's vision swam a bit, too, as she gazed down at him. "Don't talk right now. You're hurt, probably have a concussion. I'm going to get you something to drink and some meds for the pain, and then I want you to rest some more."

She gently pried his fingers from her arm and went to retrieve the first aid kit from underneath the cash register. Grabbing a bottle of water from her stash, she knelt beside him and dug out a few of the pills. She slipped two of them between his lips and cradled the back of his head, lifting it just high enough that he could take a few gulps of water without choking.

"That should take the edge off if nothing else," she said as she lowered his head again. "Try to get a bit of sleep. You're in a safe place, it's okay."

Daryl opened his eyes slightly but the light clearly made the pain even worse, and he slid his arm over top of his forehead to block it. "Would you...stay? Please. I need to have..." His words trailed off but she saw him swallow hard, and her heart rolled over in her chest.

Carol's throat got a little tight as she nodded. "I'm not going anywhere," she whispered, pushing aside the bottle and kit before curling up beside him on the floor. Cushioning her head with her arm, she hesitated a moment and then rested her other hand on his shoulder. He reached up and clutched her fingers, sighing heavily once before allowing himself to drift off again.

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_Remember, everyone...the long, slow burn is so much better than a mad dash to passion! We promise the wait will be worth it! ;)_

_ BrdwyBaby67, PixieGrunger, BlueCaek and CheerfulYank _


	3. Chapter 3

_Back with another update, members of the loyal order of Caryl! A multitude of thanks to all of our devoted readers who took the time to leave a review for us, we SO love reading what you thought! With no further ado, here is the latest addition to our little tale, read on and enjoy!_

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**Chapter 3**

Carol came awake slowly, roused by a gentle caress of fingers beneath her jaw. She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Daryl, who was staring at her with a fierce intensity that was almost disturbing. As she watched, though, a single tear broke from the corner of his eye and soaked into the coat on which he was resting his head.

"Daryl, what's wrong? Do you need more pain killers?" she asked anxiously, quickly glancing at the dressing on his wound to check for fresh blood. It seemed okay but that didn't mean he wouldn't still be feeling the effects of his injury.

Another tear fell as he carefully shook his head and then winced, telling her that while the pain might not be to blame for his emotional state, it was still very much present. "I...I thought I dreamed you. When I woke up, I was afraid you'd be gone again and..." His chin quivered slightly and he closed his eyes, obviously mortified that he was crying in front of her but unable to help himself.

Her chest ached at his misery. "It's going to be alright. Shhh... I've got you." She slid closer and slipped her arm over his shoulder, gathering him close. He clung to her desperately and buried his face against her neck, his tears falling warm against her skin. The fact that he not only let her hold him but was holding her back was truly a surprise. As long as they'd known one another, this was as intimate a moment as they'd ever shared and she found herself deeply moved.

Over the past year, he'd gradually grown comfortable enough that he wouldn't draw away when she affectionately touched his arm or shoulder from time to time, but that was as far as it had ever gone. He never sought out physical comfort of any kind, not even after he'd had to put down his own brother. There had been a few occasions afterwards when he would find her to talk quietly about what his life and Merle's had been like, but he would turn and walk away if anyone else brought up his sibling's name.

She nestled her cheek against the top of his head and stroked his back soothingly, knowing what it must have cost him to let her see him hurting so badly. There had to be more to his reaction than just relief at finding her again, she was certain. Given his condition when she'd stumbled across him, it was obvious that something traumatic had befallen him while he was trying to track her down. Or, she thought with a frown, maybe he'd left the prison for an entirely different reason...

Carol gently pulled back, cupping his face and waiting until he reluctantly met her eyes again before she spoke. "What happened to you?" she asked quietly. "Does Rick even know you're here? Is everyone okay?"

"I can't...Carol, please. I can't," he begged huskily, his eyes swollen and rimmed in red. "I just need..._this_...right now, okay?"

"This...?" she managed to utter a split second before he closed the distance between them and softly kissed her.

Carol's eyes fluttered wide and she sucked in a startled breath, but the sweetness of his kiss was irresistible and she quickly found herself relaxing against him, sliding her hand around the nape of his neck as his whiskers ticked her chin and he tentatively brushed his lips over hers.

Whatever she'd imagined kissing Daryl might be like – and Lord knew she'd thought about it enough to fill thousands of cold, lonely hours – the reality blew the fantasy right out of the water. It wasn't one of those grand, passionate and all-consuming kisses portrayed on the movie screens, but it was...oh, it was so real, so honest and so incredibly tender that her blood sang as it rushed through her body and made her feel light enough to fly.

All too soon, Daryl broke off the kiss but drew back only far enough that he could lock gazes with her again. He gave her a look of such raw vulnerability that her heart tumbled over itself, and she reached up to wipe away the remnants of his tears. "That was nice," she breathed, smiling shyly at him. "But I don't understand...after all this time, why now?"

His cheeks coloured slightly and he sheepishly returned her smile. "Promised m'self that if I found you, I wouldn't let another chance go. Wanted to do that forever but I didn't..." He shrugged, struggling to find the words but to Carol, he'd already spoken volumes.

She pressed her palm to his face and he closed his eyes, releasing a shaky sigh as he nestled against her hand. "I wanted to kiss you, too," she confided quietly, smoothing her thumb over the contour of his cheekbone. "I didn't know how you'd react, though, or if you even felt the same way I did."

He opened his eyes again but this time he looked infinitely sad. "There's stuff you don't know," he muttered, swallowing hard as his eyes glistened again. "If you did, you might not want anything to do with me ever again."

Carol was silent for a few seconds, trying to imagine what he was unable to tell her and suddenly sick with worry about all the people she'd been forced to leave behind. Daryl would eventually fill her in, she knew, but he was in no condition to go there yet – what he needed right now was reassurance. "There is nothing you could tell me," she said sternly, clasping his face more firmly to get her point across, "_nothing _– that could ever change how I feel. There's a lot of stuff I can't make promises about, Daryl, but that's one thing you can take to the bank."

"You can't say that without hearin'..." he started, but she gently laid her hand across his mouth and silenced him.

"Did Rick tell you why he sent me away?" she asked, making sure he was meeting her eyes while she did so. "Why he felt he had no choice but to throw me out?"

He huffed and his brow knotted with irritation. "Yeah, some fuckin' crap about you bein' the one that killed Karen an' David. He drove you off while I was gone, too, cuz he knew I wouldn't have let it happen. Chicken shit move..."

"What if it was true, though? Would you feel differently about me?" she challenged.

His slate blue eyes grew darker with anger. "If you did somethin' like that, you'd have had a goddamn good reason and I'd have had your back. But you didn't and you wouldn't, so it don't matter none."

"How do you know it wasn't me?" Carol persisted, still trying to get him to see her point. She'd never doubted that Daryl would take one look at her and see her story for the elaborate lie that it was, and it made her wonder again why Rick had been so willing to take her version of events at face value. He'd known her just as long as Daryl had, it shouldn't have been so easy for Rick to discard her like he had.

"I told Rick, that ain't you. If he'd taken one fuckin' minute to think about it, he'd have known that, too. He ain't been right in a long time, though; he's not so good at sortin' stuff out in his head any more. I _know_ you, know you couldn't do somethin' like that. There's more to it than what you told him."

"I know you, too," she said with finality, touched at the depth of his belief in her. "Know what a good man you are, how loyal you are to those you care about – how you've put yourself in danger over and over for the people who mean the most to you. _That's_ how I can tell you unequivocally that there is nothing you could share with me that would ever make me think less of you. I swear it."

Daryl gazed at her indecisively for a few seconds before he slipped his arm around her and hugged her tightly again. "It's so bad," he said hoarsely against her ear, his voice cracking. "So bad, you ain't got any idea..."

As frightened as she was by his words, Carol simply held his trembling body closer. "We'll get through it, whatever it is," she vowed. "You have to trust me. We'll be okay."

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_Thanks for reading! Another chapter coming soon! BrdwyBaby67, PixieGrunger, BlueCaek & CheerfulYank_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello, our lovely Carylers! A gazillion thanks for all the awesome, enthusiastic and dare we say, nervous reviews! LOL! We are glad you liked our last instalment but be warned this time around...Daryl has some pretty awful stuff to share with Carol. Please consider yourself warned: descriptions of physical violence, death and sexual assault included (not explicit but definitely implied). Do not read if you find such themes too upsetting. We don't want to hear protests of anger and upset after we've made sure you are well aware of what lies ahead. _

_Remember, it is always darkest before the dawn._

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**Chapter 4**

Carol stood at the screen door, gazing through the night to where Daryl was sitting alone on what had once been the rooftop garden of the flower shop. The full moon outlined his silhouette, painting a morose figure in tones of silver and navy blue. It hadn't even been two days since she'd found him and he was purposely distancing himself from her, his unspoken guilt taking a dreadful toll on him. He was well enough physically for them to move on but Carol knew that unless he shared the heavy burden he was carrying soon, it very well might kill him.

She buttoned up her jacket and silently closed the door behind her before walking over to where he sat. Crossing her legs, she lowered herself until she was sitting directly in front of him. Without saying a word, she took his hands in hers and simply waited. In the end, Carol wasn't sure if it was because that he was partially concealed by the darkness or if the strain of holding it all inside had simply become too much to bear any longer, but he finally spoke.

"The Governor came back, Carol. None of us figured that'd happen...thought we'd run him off for good. Guess Michonne had it right from the beginnin', we shoulda chased him down and finished it."

"What did he want?" Carol asked, her heart in her throat. She knew the brutality of which the Governor was capable, often just for the sake of causing pain and fear. And he'd be looking at a whole lot of payback after what had happened both at Woodbury and the prison. A shiver moved down her spine and she tightened her hold on Daryl's fingers.

He huffed. "Pointed a tank at us and told us to get the fuck outta the prison, that him and his new people was movin' in and we was movin' on. What he _really_ wanted was all of us dead...but first he needed to hurt us. He'd grabbed Michonne an' Hershel as hostages, had 'em on their knees in front of him. And then Rick," he added, the sneer in his voice obvious even if she couldn't see his face, "Rick went all 'kumbayah' on us, beggin' the Governor to reconsider, tryin' to convince him that we could all just hold hands and live t'gether like one big happy family. _Christ_."

"Who?" she asked, closing her eyes as she braced herself against the inevitable pain. She had no doubts about how Rick's flimsy olive branch had gone over with their deadly enemy. "I don't want to hear the whole story – just tell me, who did we lose?"

Daryl sighed forlornly. "Hershel was the first – Governor took him out right in front of us. After that, I just dunno...everythin' went crazy. His people tore down the fence with the tank, an' everyone was shootin' at everyone else. A horde of walkers got drawn in by the noise and whatever was left of both groups scattered, I don't know where the hell everyone got to or if there's even anyone else left alive. Beth was the only one I could find before we were overrun."

Carol's gaped in horror as the scope of the attack hit home, the bottom dropping out of her world as she stared in disbelief at his shadowy features. "But…but what about Lizzie and Mika? Judith? Daryl, where are the kids?"

He drew a shaky breath and shook his head. "You gotta understand what it was like in there…people runnin' around, screamin' and dyin'. Gunshots and smoke, walkers everywhere. The prison was lost, there was nothin'…"

"You _left _them?" Carol pushed his hands away and scrambled to her feet, her whole body trembling with a combination of rage and terror. "You…you walked away and…oh my God! How could you? _How could you do that_?!"

"Beth wanted to stay, she wanted to look for the kids…but I couldn't let her," he continued, his voice cracking with pain. "She'd just seen the Governor hack off her father's head, she was goin' into shock…we had to go. We _had_ to…"

Carol covered her face with her hands, fighting a wave of nausea and blinking back hot, angry tears. "I knew I couldn't trust him…I knew Rick wouldn't give a damn about them after I left, that they'd get left to fend for themselves…"

"He mighta got them out but there was no way of me knowin'. There were too many geeks for just Beth an' me to fight, though – I thought if we could get out as far as the forest, maybe we'd find the others and we could re-group, come up with a plan. But no one else came. We waited as long as we could but…" He hung his head and rubbed at his eyes with the balls of his hands. "You have to…please, Carol…I didn't know what else to do…"

Turning away from him and hugging herself tightly, Carol stared up at the blurry stars and tried to tamp down her runaway emotions. She could hear the depth of Daryl's agony in every word he spoke, but her own overwhelming fear had robbed her of the ability to provide him with any comfort. "Okay…it's okay…we just have to go back. I had a plan for them in case something awful happened, the girls knew what to do..." she said, talking more to herself than to him. She'd taught Lizzie and Mika how to handle themselves, surely to God they'd remembered their training.

"We did go back," Daryl said despondently. "The next day, once it calmed down and the walkers had dispersed some, me an' Beth snuck into the compound to see if we could find any survivors."

The bleakness of his tone was impossible to ignore, and she slowly turned back to face him again. "Were…were they there...?" she almost pleaded, desperate for any trace of hope.

"Saw the Governor, stabbed and shot in the head. A few Woodbury folks but weren't none of the kids among either the dead or the walkers. 'Cept we found…" He choked on his words before clearing his throat and fighting to go on. "We found L'il Asskicker's car seat…empty an' covered in blood."

A sob welled up in her chest and she tried without success to smother it with her palm. "Oh, Daryl…" she gasped quietly, tears trailing down her cheeks. "Our poor baby…oh God…"

As hard as he was trying to stifle the sound, Carol could hear that Daryl was crying too. "When we saw that, Beth lost it. She was hittin' me, screamin' at the top of her lungs that it was my fault, that I'd killed Judith, that I shoulda let her go find her an' the other kids when she wanted to. She kept sayin', 'It was my job! It was my job, getting the kids on the bus! You didn't let me do my job!' louder and louder."

He suddenly stood and started pacing, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve as he stalked back and forth in front of her. "I tried to get her to quiet down but she wasn't even hearin' me. I started draggin' her back t'wards the field, I wanted to get her outta there before she went and riled up the walkers again. She fought me, scratchin' and punchin' 'til I let her go. Told me she was gonna go look, that she didn't want me around no more. That's when…when _they_ came 'round the corner."

Carol grabbed hold of the front of Daryl's shirt, halting him in his tracks. "Stop. Daryl. Just stop and tell me who you're talking about."

He clutched her hands and stared down at her, his eyes wild and his face twisted with misery. "A bunch of guys, no idea if they'd been part of the Governor's group or what. They were comin' outta C Block, had scavenged our supplies – guess they figured it was all theirs for the takin'. They'd heard Beth hollerin'…"

At that point, his legs seemed to give out on him and he sank back to his knees, dragging Carol down with him. Up until this point, she thought she'd heard the worst, but clearly Beth hadn't simply decided to leave Daryl and strike out on her own. It didn't take much imagination to guess what had happened next, and she struggled not to throw up right then and there.

"You don't have to tell me…I don't need to hear any more," she said, hoping to spare him from reliving the moment. He'd come too far to stop, though, and the words came spilling out between sobs.

"I only got off one shot b'efore they grabbed us…and she…she was screamin' my name, screamin' for me to help her…but a couple of 'em took hold of me, threw me against the fence and started beatin' the shit out of me. An' the whole….the whole time….I couldn't see her but I could hear her…and whenever she'd scream, they'd fuckin' laugh harder! Like it was a joke, what they were doin' to her!"

Daryl started shaking and she instinctively threw her arms around him to try to hold him together, wanting to do anything to keep him from falling to pieces in front of her. There was no point in telling him to stop talking; the dam had burst and his only hope was to purge himself of the terror and guilt he'd been holding in. As grief-stricken as she was, this was Daryl…_her_ Daryl. And he needed her now, just as she so often needed him in the past.

"It went on…I don't know…it seemed like forever, and I was driftin' in and out. But then…_fuck_, Carol… all of a sudden, she stopped screamin'. And that was worse than any sound she'd made before, cuz then I knew…I knew…." His breath was coming harder and faster as he bordered on hysteria, and Carol held him even tighter to try and bring him back from the edge.

"This wasn't your fault! Don't you dare take this on yourself!" she whispered earnestly against his ear. "The Governor is the one who caused all of this. You've always done your best for all of us. No one could have asked more from you."

"I failed you again, though…I let everyone down. I couldn't…save any of them," he moaned against her shoulder, his breath hitching in his lungs as he spoke.

Her own sorrow threatened to break her but she tamped it down, knowing that she needed to be strong for both of them now. The weight Daryl was carrying was just too immense for him alone. "You've never failed me! Never! Do you hear?" She pulled back and took his face in her hands. His cheeks were slick with tears and she leaned in, tenderly kissing them away as best she could. "As long as I've known you, you've tried to protect us, did everything in your power to keep us safe. But what happened to Sophia, what happened to all the others we've lost…none of that was because of what you did or didn't do. It's…it's just the world we live in now."

"I thought…I thought you'd hate me. I couldn't stand that….I need you…" Daryl rasped, desperately scanning her face for what she was certain was forgiveness.

"And you have me," she promised with a sad smile, softly stroking his hair. "I'm hurting, I am, and I'm so sorry if what I said made you feel responsible for any of it…it's not you, you've got to believe that. I told you already, there's nothing you could tell me that could make me hate you. Or more importantly, make me stop loving you. I do, you know…love you, that is."

He swallowed hard but finally nodded awkwardly, acknowledging what he had to have known in his heart all along as he'd been searching for her. All out of words and completely wrung out, there was nothing left for either of them to say…and so instead, Carol leaned in and kissed him gently.

* * *

_Very sad but we promise, confiding his terrible secret is the first step back. And Carol has secrets of her own..._

_BrdwyBaby67, PixieGrunger, BlueCaek and CheerfulYank_


	5. Chapter 5

_Okay, we know we left our readers feeling a little battered after our last chapter but we're back on safer ground now. Thank you for hanging in there with us, and thank you SO MUCH to those who let us know how they felt about that, good or bad. Feels ahead, hope you like!_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Some days, the world seemed so normal – peaceful, sunny and green – that a person could just about forget that most of the human race had simply been snuffed out in a matter of months. The sounds of cicadas and birds followed Carol and Daryl as they made their way to her safe house on the outskirts of town, the dappled sunlight breaking through the canopy of the trees above their heads. The only thing missing was the sound of lawnmowers and church bells on what seemed outwardly to be a perfect Sunday morning.

They hadn't spoken much since setting out from the floral shop but the silence was a comfortable one. Daryl had slept soundly for the first time since Carol had found him, and he'd woken up with a great deal less strain on his face and just a faint headache. Carol had spent the night sitting with her back against the wall, dozing off once in a while as she cradled Daryl's head in her lap and absently stroked his hair. Thoughts and feelings about everything that had happened at the prison since her exile hadn't allowed her to settle, but the hours she spent awake had given her a chance to start thinking of what they needed to do next.

They'd been too long in one place for her comfort and so the first order of business was to relocate, distancing themselves from the centre of town by retreating to an old farmhouse that Carol had cleared during her first days alone. The house was in the middle of an open area with only a few shrubs breaking up the landscape, so it would be easy to see anyone – or anything – trying to get close. It also had an old-fashioned root cellar still partially stocked with preserved fruit and vegetables, a well with good water and a small oil-fired heater. Best of all, the late owners had been bison farmers, and that meant that the entire property was enclosed by 12 foot high, double reinforced steel-post-and-barbed wire fencing that was as walker-proof as one could hope for.

As they approached the property, Daryl hitched his bag up onto his shoulder and prepared to scale the fence, but Carol stopped him with a hand on his arm. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she tugged out a set of keys from her pocket, smiling as she jangled them from one finger. "Went through lots of work clearing the place the first time, didn't want to have to do it again. Found a chain and padlock on the barn and the key in the house, secured the front gate."

Daryl gave her an approving look as they continued around the perimeter. "Damn if you ain't got your shit together."

Carol's cheeks flushed at what constituted high praise from a Dixon man and she gave a soft laugh. "Well, a girl does what she can."

Once they'd slipped in through the gate and snapped the locked closed behind them, they skirted the inside of the fence until they were close enough to the house to make a furtive dash for the back door with their blades drawn. Daryl was clearly uneasy without his crossbow in hand, but it had been taken by the same people who'd murdered Beth. Once they made sure that the house was still empty, Carol hoped they could find some kind of long-range weapon somewhere on the farm – knives were good for one-on-one combat but not very effective otherwise.

Carol relaxed slightly on seeing that the thin blade of crabgrass she'd tucked into one of the hinges in the screen door was still in place, telling her that if someone had gotten in, it wasn't through that entrance at least. Motioning for Daryl to stay put, she circled the house, scanning for footprints as she checked all the windows and the front door as well. She returned to the back door and swung it open as quietly as she could, and Daryl went in ahead of her, starting a check of each of the rooms just to be sure they were alone.

"All good," he said as he walked back into the kitchen about five minutes later, grabbing one of the old wooden chairs at the table and turning it around so he could straddle it. He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut, unconsciously letting Carol know he was not nearly as ready for an outing as she'd believed.

"I'm going to get you something to eat, then you're going to take a couple more painkillers and sleep for a while," she stated firmly. "I've shuttered all the windows upstairs, so it'll be dark enough to rest."

"Ain't done nothin' _but_ rest," he grumbled, even as the sound of his own voice made him wince in pain. "Sick of bein' treated like a baby."

"You're still recovering, Daryl. Your concussion was far worse than it seemed at first and you need sleep in order to heal properly," she said more softly, loosening the lid on a mason jar full of canned asparagus. "You have to be feeling better before we can go back to the prison."

A long, awkward silence filled the space between them but then she'd expected that reaction. She took a fork from the drawer and speared it into the preserves, turning and placing the jar on the table in front of him. "If I could, I would spare you having to return," she said, pulling up a chair and sitting across from him. "I have to know one way or the other, though, if the girls made it to the hiding place I set up for them. But I can't do it on my own."

Daryl started gnawing at his fingernail, staring grimly at the food she'd put before him. "Told you already, we didn't see any sign of them..."

Carol laid her hand over his, caressing his knuckles with her thumb. She hated herself for making him revisit the scene of such recent trauma, but knew she had no choice if she wanted to get a bead on the children's whereabouts. There was no way she could risk going alone, though, especially given what Daryl and Beth had encountered. "After the deaths in D block, I made a 'panic room' down in the tombs. Stocked it with food, water, diapers, blankets – enough to last a week at least. Soundproofed it as best I could, too, so no one would hear them in there. I put the kids through practice drills so they'd know exactly what to do and where to go if they had to look after themselves. Even before that, I trained them on how to use guns and knives, whatever weapons they could get their hands on to protect themselves. Maybe they never made it, but if there's even a chance that they _did_..." She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. "I have to be sure before I can leave for good."

"Those men might still be 'round," he murmured, glancing at her with tortured eyes. "I can't risk losin' you again. Fuck, Carol, I ain't heartless. But what if..."

He didn't have to say it out loud for her to understand how terrified he was that what had been done to Beth could happen to her, too. "We'll be ready for them if they show up again," she answered, the look on his face shredding her heart. Carol scootched her chair closer and cupped his jaw, desperate to reassure him. "We're not going to take any stupid chances. They don't know that place like we do – we can sneak through the back of the prison, be in and out in no time at all. If they're still around the cell blocks, they'll never know we were even there."

"We ain't got a choice, I know," he said wearily, pulling the jar towards him as hunger finally won out. He fished a couple of stalks out of the brine and forked them into his mouth, clearly eating only because he knew he needed to do so to keep his strength up.

She smiled sadly and went back to the cupboard, finding a smaller jar of beets that would do for her meal. They sat together quietly for the next little while, each of them lost in their thoughts as they filled their stomachs and tried not to think of what might or might not be awaiting them back at the West Georgia Correctional Facility.

* * *

The sun had dropped behind the horizon before Carol ventured up the stairs, and so she waited until she'd reached the landing outside of the bedrooms before she flicked on the flashlight. If anyone stumbled across the farm, she wanted to be sure not to give any sign of occupation and that meant no lights except where she'd carefully blocked the windows. It was bad enough that the moon was full and that the house would be visible through the dark, but hopefully whatever or whoever was out wandering at night wouldn't pay any mind to an apparently empty building.

Daryl had been out for hours, a combination of exhaustion, stress and some codeine-laced Tylenol that Carol had found stashed in one of the bathroom cabinets. Shielding the light with her hand, she crept quietly into the master bedroom and listened. His breathing was deep and regular, a good sign. Tiptoeing closer, she set the flashlight on the bedside table so that it the beam was pointed up at the ceiling, softly illuminating the area around the bed.

He was stretched out on his stomach with the pillow on which he was resting his head bunched up in the crook of his arm. The sheets were tangled as though he'd been tossing restlessly before the medication had finally taken effect, and his legs were sticking out over the edge of the mattress. He was wearing only a pair of boxers and a frayed t-shirt, the latter of which had ridden halfway up his back to expose the network of scars he'd been given as a youngster by his abusive father. There were some darker marks on his limbs and torso, though, that she'd not noticed before, and she knelt by the bed to take a closer look.

When Daryl had told her that the men back at the prison had beaten him badly, she hadn't doubted him, but she hadn't seen the extent of those injuries for herself until now. He had to have been in even more pain than he'd let on back in town, and Carol couldn't help the tears that rimmed her eyes as she gazed at the blackish marks that seemingly covered so much of his skin. Worse still, the bruises were very regular in shape...some looked like he'd been hit with long blunt sticks or pipes, others were unmistakably boot prints. It was nothing less than a miracle that he'd survived the attack that had taken Beth's life.

She couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke his side, wishing that she could erase all the damage that had been done to him with just the touch of her fingertips. Her hand must have been cool, though, because Daryl groaned and turned his head, blinking groggily as he struggled to focus on Carol's face.

"S'wrong?" he mumbled, propping himself up on his elbow and rubbing at his whiskers with his other hand.

"Why didn't you show me? How much they hurt you, I mean? You might have broken ribs or even internal bleeding, and I wouldn't have known it!" she whispered harshly, scared and heartsick by what she'd just seen.

He sighed heavily and flopped back down on his pillow, keeping his hooded eyes trained on her as he haphazardly tugged at the sheet to try and cover himself. "Looks worse than it was. I'm okay now – you ain't gotta worry."

"You could have _died_," Carol hissed, knowing instantly how patently obvious her statement was and how ridiculous she was for even giving voice to it.

He fumbled around until he found her hand, and then enveloped it within his. "But I didn't. Couldn't let that happen, 'least not 'til I found you."

If there had been any doubts about how she felt about Daryl Dixon up until that point, his simple and poignant statement would have ended all questions in her mind. "You're impossible," she all but cried, her emotions threatening to get the better of her again. There was no way she should have made him walk so far in one day – there was no telling how much worse she'd made it for him, how much longer it would take before he was better again.

"Them pills you gave me make me feel like I'm floatin'," he said, yawning as he eyelids began to droop again. "Hardly any pain at all, I swear."

Carol closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his fingers. "I'm going to let you sleep some more, okay? I'm sorry I woke you up, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

He clutched her hand a little more tightly and shook his head. "Stay, 'kay? I just wanna listen to you talk. Your voice is pretty, like birdsong."

She laughed despite herself. "Now I know you're stoned. That's practically poetry."

Daryl grinned lazily and tugged gently on her arm until she gave in and crawled into bed beside him. He cuddled against her from behind, wrapping his arm around her waist and nuzzling the nape of her neck with a contented sigh. "Talk. Tell me what happened back at the prison after we left for the vet school."

"I think that discussion can wait for another day," she murmured. "It's not exactly the kind of fodder you need for good dreams."

Daryl's breath was warm and it sent a delightful chill skittering across her skin. "Jus' tell me...do you know who it was? Who killed Karen 'n David...who...burned 'em up like that?" he asked sleepily, his muscles flexing enticingly against her ribs.

"Yes, I know," she said, running her fingers lightly over the hairs on his forearm. "But I couldn't tell because I'm just not sure what would have happened after that. It might've destroyed everything we'd built. Like Rick told me, there are some things you can't come back from."

He yawned deeply again. "Who?" he repeated, snuggling closer. Carol waited until Daryl's breath gradually evened out again and he began to snore softly close to her ear. She reached over to the table and snapped off the flashlight, letting the velvety darkness steal into the room and surround them.

"It was Carl," she said quietly, the agony of her discovery as fresh as it had been the day she'd found out. "Carl...and Lizzie."

* * *

_Duh duh DUH! Oooo! Big reveal! Or not, as the case may be. Watch for Chapter 6, smut on the horizon..._

_BrdwyBaby67, PixieGrunger, BlueCaek & Cheerful Yank_


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the delay, devotees of Caryl! Sometimes it takes longer that we thought it would to carry the story forward, and this particular chapter took a twist we weren't quite expecting. Thank you again for those still reviewing (we TOTALLY worship and adore you!), and we hope we can entice a bit more feedback out of you ;) No more to say except, enjoy and we swear, it'll only get better after this!_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Carol carefully lifted down the plywood board she was using to block the window and let pale golden beams stream into the bedroom. She peered out from behind the sheer curtains and scanned the vast yard for signs of intrusion but apart from a few crows circling above, all was quiet and still. Although weather was certainly no indication of how the day was going to go, she found her hopes lifted by the bright sunshine and nearly cloudless blue sky.

A muffled curse from the bed caught her ear, and she bit back a smile as she watched Daryl bury his head under his pillow to try and block out the light. He'd barely stirred all night, keeping Carol pinned in place beside him. She hadn't minded even slightly; that he'd wanted her to stay, had _needed _to be touching her in order to sleep peacefully, made her feel so much closer to him than she ever had before. And having his arm around her like that...well, she'd had a pretty decent rest herself. It had all felt so _right_.

She walked over and knelt beside the bed, lifting the edge of the pillow until she could see Daryl's face. "Feeling better this morning?"

He cracked one eye open and grimaced. "Head don't hardly hurt but I'm still kind of groggy. Those pills kick ass."

Carol breathed a silent sigh of relief, grateful that it seemed Daryl had either forgotten or never heard what she'd told him the night earlier about Carl and Lizzie. It wasn't what she wanted to think about at the moment; there would be more than enough time to deal with that whole mess if they needed to...if it even actually mattered any more. "We need to get something into your stomach and then you'll feel more yourself. If you want to step into the shower and get cleaned up a bit, I'll pop downstairs and see what I can find that might constitute a decent breakfast. I laid out some clean clothes that should fit you..."

Daryl pushed the pillow aside and sat up halfways. "Shower? Y'mean here in the house?"

Carol grinned at him. "Just across the hallway, yes. There's a heater that runs on oil. I filled up the water tank this morning and lit it. Better than what we rigged up at the prison, I promise – _actual_ hot water. Best thing about this place besides the fence."

"Can't remember the last time I took a real shower with hot water," he muttered, sitting up and rubbing at his matted, dusty hair.

Fighting not to smile, Carol arched her eyebrow at him and waved her hand in front of her face. "Neither can I."

She burst out laughing at the stricken expression on Daryl's face. When he realized she was kidding around with him, he narrowed his eyes playfully at her and she made a dash for the hallway, making it out a split second before his pillow hit the door behind her.

* * *

Carol was cracking open the seal on some stewed tomatoes to go with the tinned ham she'd fried up when she heard an ominous thump from the floor above. Abandoning her breakfast preparations, she dashed through the living room and up the stairs. The sound of running water got louder as she approached the open door to the bathroom.

"Daryl! Are you okay?" she called anxiously, peeking around the corner into the soap-scented dimness of the steamy, windowless room.

The shower curtain rustled slightly. "Got dizzy for a second, had to sit down," Daryl mumbled. "It's...I'm fine."

Reaching in, Carol twisted the taps closed and listened as the last of the water swirled down the drain. "I should've gotten you to eat before you went and stood under the hot water," she chided herself. "I don't know what I was thinking, it's no wonder you got light-headed."

"I said, I'm _fine_," he snapped angrily. "I ain't a child an' I don't need a goddamn babysitter, Carol! Just hand me a fuckin' towel, would ya?"

His unexpected outburst stung but as Carol tossed a towel over the top of the curtain rod, she reluctantly had to admit that she'd been treating him exactly that way. For someone as strong as Daryl, someone used to protecting those around him, the effects of his injury had to be endlessly frustrating for him. And yes, she'd been coddling him since she found him, her instincts to care and nurture those who meant the most to her every bit as strong as his own. She'd been so engrossed in nursing him back to health, though, that she hadn't even considered how he might feel about the whole situation.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, stepping back from the curtain and crossing her arms over her chest in an unconscious gesture of defensiveness. "You're right. You don't need anyone to mother you. I'm going to head back downstairs now; you let me know if there's anything you want me for, alright?"

He didn't answer and so she turned away to leave, knowing now that it would only add to his indignity if she was standing there watching him as he hoisted himself out of the tub. "Carol...wait," Daryl finally said, his words filled with quiet regret. "I didn't mean to talk to you like that...I'm grateful for everythin' you done."

She paused, self-consciously running her hand down the smooth wood of the doorframe. "I know I've been a bit overbearing these last couple of days, but you have no idea how frightening it was to see you hurt like that. I truly believed I'd never see you again when Rick made me leave and then all of a sudden, there you are...and I have a chance to save _you_ for a change, to give something back for all those times you came to my rescue. I didn't do what I did to earn your gratitude, Daryl. I did it for myself so I wouldn't lose you for good."

The erratic trickle of water draining from the taps filled up the silence between them for a few seconds before she heard Daryl stirring in the tub, his hand slapping against the tiles as he pulled himself to a stand again. She could make out his vague silhouette behind the curtain as he got to his feet and wrapped the towel around his waist, but he didn't make any attempt to move the panel aside.

"It's been pissin' me off, bein' all weak an' shit in front of you," he confessed gruffly from behind the protection of the screen, his shadow-self bracing a shoulder against the wall. "Been actin' like a pussy with all this cryin' and mopin' around. I need to fuckin' get over myself and nut up."

"You've been through a horrifying ordeal, Daryl. It's not weakness, having to lean on someone once in a while. You can't be strong all the time. And I..." Carol stopped as emotion suddenly welled up inside of her and caught her off guard. She leaned on the edge of the vanity, closing her eyes as she tried to force it back as much as she could. "I was flattered that you confided in me like you did. It finally made me feel like I could be just as important to you as you've been to me, having you trust me like that."

She heard him huff in exasperation. "You been the most important person in my life for years now; you know that."

"I've known you cared about me, that you felt an obligation to look after me and keep me safe after we fled that original campsite outside Atlanta," she agreed. "But until now, I've never felt like you really _needed_ me. It's been a pretty one-sided relationship."

"That ain't true," he shot back impatiently. "There's no way I coulda stayed with the group, no way I woulda fit in at all if it hadn't been for you. I was so mad all the time, but bein' around you...you knew how to bring me back from that. Helped me find the peace an' quiet when I needed it; made me stop an' think. Dammit, Carol, I woulda died a long time ago 'cept for you. Ain't nothin' one-sided 'bout that."

Carol would have responded if the lump that had formed in her throat had allowed it. She blinked rapidly, trying to air dry the tears before they spilled down her cheeks. As it happened, she was only partially successful, and so she quickly wiped at her eyes so he wouldn't see that he was the only one who could be reduced to weeping. "Oh, Daryl," she managed to whisper, shaking her head at how deeply he'd managed to touch her again.

"Carol...I..." He cleared his throat sheepishly. "I'm...uh...I'm gettin' kinda cold in here but don't wanna fall again. Could you help me outta the tub? Please?"

A chuckle over the irony of his situation escaped her lips before she could stop it, but it was a welcome relief after such an incredibly raw moment. "I'll pull back the curtain and you put your arm around my shoulder, okay?

Waiting until she heard him make a noise she took for agreement, she tugged the slippery material aside and reached for him. Daryl slid one wet arm around behind her and she wrapped hers around his waist, taking the balance of his weight on her hip as he cautiously lifted one foot and then the other out of the tub. Together they slowly crossed the hall and returned to the bedroom, leaving a long trail of indistinct foot-shaped puddles in their midst.

When they'd made it as far as the bed, Carol slipped out from beneath his arm and took his hand, guiding him to the footboard just in case the dizziness returned. Water quickly began pooling around his feet and despite the relative warmth of the room, goose bumps popped up all over his exposed skin. She hustled back to the bathroom to grab a couple of extra towels and returned, draping one around his shoulders to keep the chill off.

"Do you need help drying off?" she asked tentatively, not wanting to seem as though she was doting on him again. "We're getting water all over the floor and the last thing we need is for one of us to slip."

"I can do it m'self," he said slowly, taking the towel she offered. "But you can help if you wanna, at least with my back."

Smiling to herself, she pulled the towel from his shoulders and started by ruffling his hair, gently fluffing the damp strands until she got most of the water out. "I think we're going to half the dose on those pills if we decide to use them again," she said. "Some people are more sensitive to codeine than others. We might just have to settle for ibuprofen until your headaches clear up if this stuff throws you for a loop."

"I don't feel too bad now," he sighed contentedly, arching his spine like a big cat as she dried around the many bruises across his back. "Felt better before I ended up on my ass in the tub, though."

Carol laughed lightly as she trailed her fingers across the wings of the demons he had tattooed on his shoulder blade, her tactile admiration of the artwork causing him to shiver in response. On impulse, she pressed her lips against one of the inked creatures. "There. That's as close as you're going to get to me kissing your owie better," she teased distractedly, her fingertips tracing the lines of his shifting muscles.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes glinting with mischief from beneath his unruly bangs. "Not even if I told you it was _really_ sore?"

"Not even then," she said with a bashful grin, slightly appalled at what he'd caught her doing. Leaving the towel cinched around his waist alone – he could dry everything under _there_ by himself, even if the very thought made desire swirl in her core and heat rush to her cheeks – Carol crouched down and wiped off his legs as best she could, not wanting him to lean over and risk getting woozy again.

"Okay, we're finished on that side." She stood again and stepped around in front of him, flicking the hair away from his temple so she could carefully dab around the wound. As she did so, however, a rivulet of water trailed down his throat, drawing her eyes away from his face. As she watched, it meandered over his collarbone and slid over the curve of his pectoral. For a scant second or two, she had to fight the desire to lick it off his smooth skin before she suddenly realized what she was thinking and instead quickly sponged it away.

Daryl grabbed hold of her hand and she looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat when she saw the hopeful need on his face. She skimmed her tongue along her bottom lip as if she was seeking the taste of the sweet, glistening bead that had trickled over his sleek muscles, and his eyes dropped to her mouth.

"The way you're lookin' at me...I wanna...could I kiss you again?" he asked hoarsely, his fingers tightening around hers as though afraid she might bolt at the very suggestion.

"I really wish you would," she whispered huskily as a shudder of anticipation moved through her. She let the towel she was holding fall to their feet and took a single step closer, spreading both hands over the hard expanse of his chest.

The combined smell of soap and his natural male scent was intoxicating, lingering in the air around them and filling her lungs. As he leaned towards her, she slid her hands from his chest to his neck, tracing the tendons that strained under his warm skin and feeling the race of his pulse against her fingers. The first tender brush of his mouth against hers was almost electric, and they both gasped simultaneously at the sizzling shock it sent shooting through their bodies.

"Is that...is it always like that?" he breathed, his eyes wide as he stared down into hers.

Carol gave a faint shake of her head even as she snaked her hand around his nape and pulled him back for more. "Only when it really means something," she murmured against his lips. "I've never felt that with anyone before you."

She slipped her tongue past his teeth, caressing the soft flesh within. For a moment he did nothing but as she flicked her tongue lightly against his, he answered with a moan from deep in his chest that made her flush hot all over.

Daryl's hands were suddenly surrounding her face and his mouth moving hungrily, as though he was starving for breath after nearly drowning and was determined to take hers. His tongue tasted and twined around hers with increasing urgency, and she had to sink her fingers into his biceps to keep from being swept away completely. Some distant part of her mind remembered his condition and she hoped that he wouldn't feel faint again because she was no longer sure her legs would support either of them.

His arms locked around her in a steely embrace and he hauled her up against his body. The fit between the two of them was so close it was as though they were interlocking pieces of the same puzzle, and Carol almost cried out at the surprising perfection of it. There was so much heat – had the room actually seemed cool at one point? Or maybe it was the fires he'd ignited deep inside her that made it feel like a sweltering summer day.

In desperate need of oxygen, Carol reluctantly pulled back, panting as she gazed up into his smoldering blue eyes. "Daryl," she breathed, needing to speak his name for reasons she couldn't begin to understand, but knowing that she didn't need to say any more for him to appreciate how he'd made her feel.

His lips were slick from their kisses and he parted them as he fought to draw in enough air. "Carol...I want...I _need_ what comes next, but..." he fumbled with his words even as he gently stroked her back. His cheeks flared a bright red and he shrugged his shoulders, frowning as he struggled to tell her what was on his mind.

"But?" she asked, wondering for a heart-sinking moment if she'd misread him entirely. What did she think was going to happen? He wasn't in any shape for intimacy and might never be ready to take that step, if that's even what he wanted, for a long while. Theirs was a complex relationship, perhaps he didn't want to risk what they already had by letting things get physical between them. "Daryl, it's okay. Maybe we're not ready for this yet. We should wait and when you're feeling better, we'll see..."

"No!" he almost shouted, his eyes flashing in alarm. "You don't understand. I just..." He took a deep breath and swallowed nervously. "I ain't never done it, okay?"

Her heart rolled over in her chest and Carol had to keep herself from sighing in joyous relief. She framed his face, revelling in the rough texture of his whiskers against her smooth palms. "Experience isn't what makes being together something special or wonderful; if you love and trust the person you're with, it comes naturally," she said softly, tangling her fingers in a damp lock of hair that fell across his cheek. "I've _never_ been with someone who makes me feel the way you do, Daryl. It will be like the first time for me, too."

He bunched up the back of her shirt in his fists, and she could feel that his hands were trembling slightly. "I don't wanna mess it up," he mumbled uneasily. "After all this time, when I finally get my chance...what if it's bad with me?"

Carol impulsively threw her arms around him, saddened that despite her best assurances, he was plagued by doubt. "Do you trust me?" she asked, nuzzling his neck and breathing softly against his damp skin.

"You know I do," he said gruffly, his voice a deep, arousing rumble against her breasts that caused her nipples to stiffen deliciously.

"And do you _love _me?" she whispered against his ear, nipping ever so gently at his ear lobe.

"God, yes...I do," he rasped, shifting his stance slightly to accommodate the rigid excitement she felt stirring against her belly. She subtly rubbed herself against him through the towel and was rewarded when she felt a tremour move through him from head to toe.

"Say it," she pressed, licking a path along his pulse point and drawing a tortured groan out of him that had her grinning victoriously. "I want to hear it."

"I love you," he gasped shakily, hugging her even tighter. The words rang true in her ears and filled up the last of the emptiness inside of her, and she allowed herself the luxury of a single happy tear at finally hearing what she'd waited so long for him to say.

"Then I promise you, it's going to be perfect," Carol vowed, releasing him from her embrace and sliding back down the length of his body. She drew back and took his hand, tugging on his arm until he followed her to the edge of the bed. "Kiss me again and let's go from there."

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_Okay, we know we promised smut, but we decided that instead of just trying to tack it on to the end of this chapter, we'd commit the entirety of Chapter 7 to some long-awaited sweet, sweet loving ;) Bear with us, we promise you won't be disappointed..._

BrdwyBaby67, PixieGrunger, BlueCaek & Cheerful Yank


	7. Chapter 7

_Our dedicated and patient Carylers - we cannot apologize enough for the delay in getting this chapter posted. But we have delivered on our promise to bring you the...shall we say, culmination...of all that delicious emotion and chemistry these two characters embody. We are hopeful that once you've read it, you'll feel that the wait was worth it. After all, isn't anticipation more than half the pleasure?_

_A million bouquets of gratitude to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and all those that were posted before. We love and cherish all our devoted readers!_

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**Chapter 7**

Dust motes danced in the sunshine that now filled the room, the tiny particles sparkling as they drifted through each golden beam. The light slanted across Daryl's face and got caught in his eyes, making them seem even bluer than Carol knew them to be. They weren't nearly as pale as hers but proved captivating nonetheless, pulling her in with the depths of their almost shocking beauty.

Or maybe what she was feeling had nothing to do with colour of his eyes and everything to do with the unwavering look of gentle longing he was giving her as she caressed his bare arms. There was so much strength packed into the sinewy muscle beneath her fingertips but for all that, Carol knew how easily he could be hurt. He'd been let down by so many people through his life that he'd almost come to expect it as his lot, but she was going to show him that his hard-earned trust was not misplaced. The secrets he'd shared, the leap of faith he was taking with his heart, the part of himself that he was ready to give her now – all that was a gift beyond measure and she was going to treat it as such.

She reached up and sank her fingers into his silky damp hair before pulling him down for another kiss. Daryl made a faint sound of need just as their lips met but Carol kept the kiss soft, sampling the irresistible flavour of him with the very tip of her tongue. Despite the desperate ache deep inside her, there was a great deal at stake and she had to lead him through it slowly so he could savour every minute.

He opened his mouth a bit wider and dared to take the kiss to the next level, tentatively stroking her tongue with his. She submitted willingly, letting him explore with a slow thoroughness that sent a thrill down her spine and made her toes curl inside her socks. When she moaned her pleasure against his lips, he slid his hand behind her and spread his fingers over the small of her back, pulling her close and bringing her soft curves flush against his firm planes. Her whole body burned as she linked her arms around his neck, and she shivered as she felt him grow even harder against her navel.

When he finally drew back, he gave her a look so tender and warm that it was more moving than the kiss itself. Daryl smiled shyly at her, reaching down to touch the top button of her blouse and rubbing a slow circle around it with his thumb. Carol's breath hitched a little, understanding the erotic suggestiveness of his action even if he wasn't entirely aware of it himself. She stepped back and after brushing her fingers over his knuckles, she casually worked the first button free.

Daryl bit at his lip and his eyes glinted with heated expectation. When the next few buttons came undone and his shoulders tightened perceptibly, she knew she'd made the right decision in not rushing anything – every gesture, every caress was adding to the delicious anticipation. "Now you," she murmured, pressing his hand to the wedge of skin she'd exposed, closing her eyes for a heartbeat as she memorized how it felt to have him really touching her, "I want you to do the rest."

A flush crept up his neck and coloured his cheeks, but he slowly dragged his fingers downward. Carol gasped softly as he gently skimmed the slopes of her breasts but she didn't realize how much her reaction affected him until he reached the next button and his hand shook as he fumbled to slide it through its hole. When it wouldn't immediately come undone, he tugged at it and frowned, his brow creasing in frustration.

"Pookie," she whispered. His lips twitched at the endearment and when he met her gaze again, she smiled reassuringly before kissing him sweetly. "Don't over think it...just let it happen."

Some of the tension eased from his muscles and he looked down into her face, staring deeply into her eyes as he as he effortlessly finished the task at hand. Carol rolled her shoulders and let the garment slip off her arms, pausing only a second before she reached behind and unhooked her bra. At the last minute she clutched the lacy, plum coloured material to her chest, suddenly realizing that this was it – she would finally be baring herself to Daryl in more ways than one. A quick burst of adrenaline shot through her veins from a combination of both excitement and insecurity. Would she be what he'd expected, what he wanted? The feelings were an unwelcome reminder of her former lack of confidence, of the woman she used to be. That wasn't her anymore, she reminded herself tersely.

Unaware of her conflicting emotions, Daryl slipped his hands under each of the thin straps, the warmth of his touch soothing her like a balm as he eased the bra off her shoulders. She reluctantly let go and watched as he tossed it away, his rapt attention never wavering. With a tenderness that made the ache for him even more intense, he reverently mapped a course over her skin, from the arch of her collarbones to her rapidly rising and falling chest to the slight dip at her midriff. "You feel...you're so soft," he murmured, running his thumbs beneath the weight of breasts and causing her nipples to pebble into hard peaks. "So perfect..."

The air escaped her lungs in a rush as he ducked down to kiss her neck and she let her head fall back as he marked a hot, wet trail along her throat. His hair tickled as he explored her with his lips, her blood rushing faster the lower he went. When he gently sucked her nipple into the sweltering heat of his mouth, she grasped his head in her hands and bunched his hair into her fists as she cried out at the sheer ecstasy of the sensation.

"Yes," she groaned as he cupped her in his palm and sucked harder, his teeth scraping against her sensitive, swollen tip. "Yes...like that..."

After a few glorious minutes he let her slip from his mouth, his hot breath coasting across her damp skin and causing her nipple to tighten even more. He gave it one last flick of his tongue before he scorched a path to her other breast, taking her in so deeply this time that she could feel the ridges on the roof of his mouth. Moisture rushed to her core and she throbbed with need, amazed at how quickly he had been able to get her to this point. Of course, what was happening now had been a long time coming, so perhaps it shouldn't have come as any surprise at all that she could be roused that easily by him. After all, it was more about _who_ was doing it than what he was doing...but _what_ he was doing, good God...

When he finally raised his head, his lips were parted and his eyelids heavy with bliss. "Was that...?" he managed to utter before she kissed him again, holding back nothing of the passion he'd ignited with his ardent efforts.

"It was heaven," Carol murmured, subtly nudging him towards the bed until the back of his knees hit the edge of the mattress and he was forced to sit down. He stared up at her with an expression of undisguised yearning that called to her heart, but it was the way his huge erection twitched behind the fleecy towel slung around his waist that made her body clench almost painfully hard. Slow, she had to remind herself...slow and easy. It was his first time and though her instincts were urging her to tear off the offending towel, push him down and take him inside of her with one quick, hard thrust, she dismissed the thought almost the second it occurred. She was going to make it special for him...this was going to be a moment he would remember for as long as he lived.

She reached for the snap on her jeans but he sat up straighter and moved her hands away, so she let her arms drop to her sides while he popped the metal fastener open himself and slowly slid her zipper down. As he eased her waistband over the swell of her hips, he leaned forward and kissed her belly, his nostrils flaring as he caught her scent and his eyelids flickering closed as he nuzzled her there. Gravity gradually took over and as her pants fell to her feet, she stepped out of them and she cradled his head against her, running her trembling fingers through his thick, dark hair.

Daryl worshipfully sculpted her thighs with his hands, raising his questioning eyes to meet hers when he reached the dainty barrier of her underwear, almost as though he was seeking her permission to proceed. She smiled indulgently and as she watched, he traced the whorls and swirls of the small triangle of fabric that covered her privates, seemingly fascinated by the intricate pattern. Just when she thought she'd scream in frustration, he slid his fingers in between her legs and fondled her through her gauzy panties.

An almost savage wave of lust washed over her and she shuddered, clutching his shoulders as her eyes rolled back. If this is how it was going be between them now, before they'd even really done anything, she was going to fly apart completely when they actually came together. "Carol, fuck..." he groaned, tipping his forehead against her stomach again as he slowly stroked her. "I can't believe that I can do that to you...make you lose control by just touchin' you."

She laughed shakily. "God, if you only knew how you make me feel, Daryl. Every time you look at me, every time we get physically close, even if it's just for a few seconds...oh, my love, I was lost a long time ago when it came to you."

He hooked his fingers over the elastic of her panties and tugged them down, his breath catching in his throat as he finally got to see her – _all_ of her – for the first time. He framed her hips with his hands, raking his gaze over the length of her body as though he could capture that moment forever in his mind. He didn't speak, didn't seem capable of it, and Carol decided that his stunned silence was a higher compliment than anything he could have said.

As she kicked the last of her clothing aside, he took her hand and pulled her down onto the bed with him, moving back so there was enough room for both of them. When they were finally stretched out, facing one another, he gathered her close and caught her in another kiss, all but devouring her in the midst of his desire. "I like that, y'know," he muttered, caressing the line of her jaw with his knuckle and staring at her intensely.

"You like what?" Carol had the presence of mind to ask as she fought to catch her breath. She licked at her lips, savouring the essence of his affection. Her head was swimming and her heart pounded, and she decided it was a very good thing that they were finally laying down because her knees were too weak to trust anymore.

"That you said, 'my love.' That you think of me that way," he admitted quietly.

The stark vulnerability of his words almost brought tears to her eyes. "Don't you ever doubt it," she breathed against his lips, kissing him with every iota of love she possessed, determined that he'd feel it all the way to his heart. "I _do_ love you. You're everything I've ever wanted and I'm so lucky to have you."

Daryl's hands were suddenly surrounding her face, cupping it between his palms as he ravaged her mouth, his unfettered passion overshadowing whatever lack of experience he might have possessed. Carol crushed herself against him, tangling her legs in between his in an effort to bring him even closer. He still wore the towel and as it got bunched up in between them, she growled in frustration and tugged it free of his hips.

He pulled back a few inches, the sudden realization that he was completed naked seeming to startle him. They remained separated for only the span of a few heartbeats, however, before as he hauled her against him tight enough that it seemed as though he meant to seal her body to his. It was beyond glorious, feeling his bare skin against hers, so smooth and hot, so incredibly _right_, and she loved that she finally was free to touch him the way she'd always wanted. As he rained down burning kisses on her neck, her fingertips slid with silky elegance down the smooth sway of his back and over the ledge of his hip. Hesitating only briefly, she wedged her hand down between them and took firm hold of his cock, thick and heavy and stunningly rigid with need.

A tremor worked its way through him and he grasped her upper arm firmly, burying his forehead against the crook of her shoulder as she touched him. Her mouth went dry at the heft of what she cradled in her palm but it was his deep moan of pleasure that threatened to rob her of restraint. She kept her touch gentle, though, using just the pads of her fingers to stroke the velvety soft flesh that was stretched so tautly over an iron-hard core. Instinctively, he began to rock slowly against her and so she tightened her grip, letting her hand glide up and down the length of his shaft as he moved.

"Do you like it when I do that?" she whispered into his ear, giving her wrist a twist on the upstroke and wringing another tortured groan from his lips. "Does that feel good?"

"Yes...fuck, _yes_," he ground out, his stubble creating delicious friction against her skin as he spoke. She shivered as goose bumps rose all over her body despite the warmth of the room.

She dipped her fingers past the base of his member, gently scraping her nails over his lightly furred sac before she ran her palm back up to his swollen crown again. "I have a secret to tell you," she purred, closing her eyes and inhaling the growing scent of his arousal. "Before now...when I was alone at night, I thought of you. I pretended that I was with you just like this. And I would touch myself and imagine that it was your mouth...your fingers...your dick..."

His cock jerked against her palm and he groaned helplessly. "Carol...babe, you're fuckin' killin' me..."

Being called 'babe' made her feel ridiculously happy and cherished. "Do you want to see? Watch me while I do that to myself, I mean?" she suggested shyly, her face warming at the very idea of it. She'd never been quite so forward before but with Daryl, something inside of her had unlocked and she wasn't quite sure she could control her urges any more…or that she even wanted to try. There would be no holding back, not with him.

Daryl stopped breathing altogether for a few seconds, his fingers grasping her hard enough that she was pretty sure she'd have some slight bruises afterwards. As though suddenly aware that he might be hurting her, he let go of Carol's arm and raised his head, lust and longing clear in his darkening eyes. He didn't answer but nodded unevenly, sliding further back on the mattress so he could better see what it was she was going to do.

With one last lingering touch, she released him and rolled over on her back, stretching her limbs and closing her eyes. What she'd told him was absolutely true – there were so many nights that the only peace she found was after she fantasized about exactly what was happening between them now. But by showing him what she liked and what got her off, the pressure she knew he was inevitably going to put on himself could be avoided. Besides which, if she was going to be completely honest with herself, it heightened her own arousal more than a few notches when she thought about him watching her pleasure herself.

She ran her fingers lightly over her throat, following her breastbone downwards before cupping her breasts in her hands. Massaging them a bit roughly, she tweaked her already distended nipples and rolled them between her fingers, hissing at the exquisitely wonderful shock that shot straight down between her legs. Daryl made a low, needful sound from deep in his throat and shifted beside her, the straining curve of his manhood pressing insistently against her thigh. She could almost feel his eyes on her and her desire flared even hotter at the thought.

Her hands flowed over the jut of her hipbones and she spread her knees wider, the air startlingly cool on her fevered flesh. She sighed raggedly, sliding her hand down through her sparse, curly hairs until she found the plump lips of her sex. Fingering herself gently, she spread the slick folds apart before delving just past her second knuckle into her tight, wet opening.

Carol let out a faint gasp that Daryl echoed as she leisurely swirled her finger through her own lubrication and then marked a lazy trail up her cleft, finding the small nub of her clit just barely emerged from behind its tiny hood. She rubbed the little bead in slow, languorous circles, her pulse spiking as she felt her body blossom in anticipation of what was to come. Her hips abruptly jerked upwards as she found just the right spot, and she moaned Daryl's name in response

Daryl gingerly slipped his fingers underneath hers, his rougher skin coming into contact with her most intimate self and sending a devastating tremor through her that scattered her thoughts and left her quivering on the edge of orgasm. Before she could even give voice to the unbelievable sensation, he leaned over and kissed her softly as his hand began to move, lovingly mirroring what he'd seen her do. Her head spun as she got lost in a haze of eroticism like she'd never felt before, her physical and emotional responses combining to overload her senses entirely.

The primal force of her orgasm caught her totally of guard, and her back arched sharply off the bed as white-hot starbursts exploded behind her eyelids. The fact that it had happened so quickly didn't exactly shock her, not with years of pent-up desire building between them, but nothing could have prepared her for the intensity of the experience. It was like the coils on a tightly-wound clock suddenly springing free, so great were both the relief and fulfillment that washed over her.

When she'd collapsed back against the mattress and recovered her wits enough to open her eyes again, the animalistic hunger she saw on Daryl's face almost made her come again. "Carol..." he pleaded huskily, crawling up over her until he covered his body with hers and pressed her down into the mattress with his luscious weight. "I can't..."

"Now," she urged desperately, twining her legs around his waist and wriggling beneath him until he growled. "Yes, please...now."

He sank his fingers into her thighs and dragged her to him so he could slide into her slowly, deeply. They groaned in unison at their joining, Carol marvelling at how hot and hard he was, how he filled her in a way she never thought possible.

Daryl gazed down at her, his expression a mix of agony, awe and adoration. "You're so beautiful," he gasped, rolling his hips against hers as he thrust himself further into her channel. Even now, even when she knew his restraint had to be dangerously close to slipping, he was so gentle and slow, savouring the prolonged pleasure of drawing out and then easing himself into her over and over again. It was the sweetest torture she'd ever known, and she understood that while she may have had sex many times in her distant past, up until this moment she'd never really had a man make love to her in the truest sense of the term.

Before long, his breathing grew ragged and he plunged into her harder, reaching new depths and making her cry out louder in ecstasy. She clutched his ass and tilted her pelvis, wanting him as deep inside her as she could get him. He rocked rhythmically back and forth, grinding himself against her and stimulating her already pulsing clit to the point where Carol fought not to scream in delight. She fought to hold back, determined to give him what he needed for as long as he needed it, but her treacherous body was having none of it and before very long, she felt the delicate fluttering in her womb that signalled another imminent climax.

"Daryl!" she whimpered in warning, marking his skin with her fingernails as her hips surged up to meet his, meeting him stroke for jarring stroke. As though by speaking his name she'd given him some kind of implicit consent to let loose, he began to pound into her. Their eyes locked again and she was mesmerized by the rapture on his face. She could almost feel the blood rushing through his veins, could almost hear the rapid thud of his heart as he finally succumbed and cried out with a heart-rending combination of pain and pleasure. He came hard and pulled her over the edge with him, shivering and quaking in her arms as his back bowed and he erupted inside of her.

Panting and sweating, they clung tightly to one another until they'd both drifted slowly back into themselves and he slumped against her, the whiskers on his chin grazing her shoulder as he nuzzled her ear. Carol lay in completely satiated contentment, a soft smile on her face as she cradled him with her body and let her hands wander over the still-twitching muscles of his back. It couldn't have been any more amazing if she'd scripted it, she thought with exhausted satisfaction. There had never been a moment in her life when she'd felt more connected...more _part_ of someone...than now.

He suddenly rolled over onto his back and pulled her along with him, leaving her splayed naked across his chest. She sighed at the feel of his hot skin against her cheek and reached out for his hand, weaving their fingers together. "That was incredible," she breathed, determined to quash any worries he had about his performance before they inevitably emerged. "I've never...that was simply...I don't even know what to say."

"It was the same for me...I had no idea...fuck. Just...yeah," he said with disbelief and not just a little wonder in his voice. He wrapped his free arm around her and hugged her tightly against him. "I'm glad, y'know. That it was with you, this first time. Couldn't imagine doin' it with someone other than you."

"I'm glad, too," she replied as a lump formed in her throat, nestling her cheek against his chest so she could listen to his strong, steady heartbeat. The world may have fallen to pieces but if she didn't live through another day, Carol knew that she at least had found one moment of perfect happiness.

They lay together quietly for quite a while, lightly caressing one another as their bodies were bathed in golden sunlight. Outside, the birds sang to one another through the trees and the insects buzzed in the growing heat of the day. It was such a rare moment of peace, and Carol was determined to cherish it.

"Carol?" Daryl finally said quietly, his fingers combing with the short curls at the nape of her neck.

"Hmmm?" she answered sleepily, almost on the verge of dozing off. She lifted her head and smiled down at him.

"If we find the others," he said, suddenly serious. "If there's still anyone alive after all of what happened...what are we gonna tell them about what Carl and Lizzie done?"

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_Anyone still able to type in a review, or do you need a few moments and perhaps a cigarette first? ;)_

_BrdwyBaby67, PixieGrunger, BlueCaek & Cheerful Yank_


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